Bronze Age Catwoman (1975)

It’s back to the future for the Feline Fatale

1975 marked a return to an updated classic look for Catwoman!

In Batman #266, she once again sports a purple outfit, though this time she wears ankle-length boots. Her dress is also cut higher this time. By this time, the Batman comic in the midst of the Neal Adams era, in which the stories are more serious.

Catwoman’s look began in issue #260 (January 1975), but the August issue brings her front and center to the readers. This look proved popular with the readers and would last through the rest of the decade, and into the 1980s.

According to Wilkipedia, in the 1970s comics, a series of stories occurring on Earth-Two (the parallel Earth that was retroactively declared as the home of DC’s Golden Age characters) revealed that Selina reformed in the 1950s (presumably after the events of Batman #69) and had married Bruce Wayne. Soon afterwards, the couple gave birth to their only child, Helena Wayne (the Huntress ). This would explain the origin of the Huntress featured in the 2002-2003 TV series Birds of Prey.

In Brave and the Bold #197, the Golden Age origin of Catwoman given in Batman #62 was elaborated on, after Selina revealed that she never actually had amnesia. It was revealed that Selina Kyle had been the wife of an abusive man, and eventually decided to leave her husband. However, her husband had kept her jewelry in his private vault, and she had to break into it to retrieve the jewelry. Selina enjoyed this experience so much she decided to become a professional costumed cat burglar.

The Earth-Two/“Golden Age” Selena Kyle eventually died in the late 1970s after being blackmailed by a criminal into going into action again as Catwoman (as shown in DC Super-Stars #17).

One feature of Catwoman stories in this period is her committing murder. This seemed to be popular, since The Joker began committing them in 1973. Neither the Earth-One or Earth-Two versions of her would ever do this. This version of Catwoman was assigned to the alternate world of Earth-B, an alternate Earth that included stories that couldn't be considered “canonical” on Earth-One or Earth-Two.

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Explanation of Earth Worlds

Earth-One

Home of DC Silver Age comic heroes, including the Justice League of America.

Earth-Two

Home of DC Golden Age comic heroes.

Earth-B

Nonconforming versions of different comic book figures.
One such story featured Catwoman committing murder, which neither the Earth-One nor Earth-Two versions would ever do as it was strictly against the character's moral code. Notable characters include Batman (who appeared regularly in the series).